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Boyz sweat over 'Pepe's' fitness
IAN BURNETT, Sports editor
Monday, September 08, 2008
GOODISON... his leg felt sore and stiff
MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Technical director Rene Simoes and his Reggae Boyz band are sweating over the fitness of ace central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison for Wednesday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Honduras, following a crunching tackle by Mexican captain Rafael Marquez towards the end of the first half.
Goodison, who was seen hobbling around at the team's hotel, was sporting a badly contused and abrased right inner thigh and inner leg. There was also swelling on his lower leg.
But the lion-hearted defender - two months shy of his 36th birthday - soldiered on courageously and had it not been for his presence on the field, the scoreline could have been much worse.
He remained motionless on the pitch writhing in pain following the challenge, before being stretchered off, but Goodison explained that he was always going to continue, even in severe pain.
"You can't hold back when you are playing for your country, if you're going to hold back then it makes no sense playing for your country," he said, even as he held onto a colleague to climb the stairs at the entrance to the team's hotel.
He revealed that his leg felt "sore" and "stiff", but was looking forward to Wednesday's game nonetheless.
Doctor Charlie Roberts, team doctor, referred to Goodison's injury as one occasioned by a high studded tackle from the Mexican skipper. He said due to the severity of the challenge and the impact, "soft tissues" would have been crushed.
"The injury will be treated intensely by ice to keep the swelling down, rest and elevation, as well as pain killers," said Dr Roberts, who hinted that a player of Goodison's physical and mental toughness could easily regain fitness in time for Wednesday's game.
For Simoes, the injury is a big problem.
"The guy (Marquez) went there to pay him back for the tackle on Giovani. It was not by accident...
"Goodison is a warrior, he is amazing and along with Jermaine Taylor, if we didn't have these two guys today it would have been worse," added Simoes.
Incidentally, Marquez received only a yellow card warning for the challenge, instead of the obligatory red card expulsion.
Concorde not flying anymore, can be borrowed one on the RAF two seater fighter plane and send for a UB40?
IAN BURNETT, Sports editor
Monday, September 08, 2008
GOODISON... his leg felt sore and stiffMEXICO CITY, Mexico - Technical director Rene Simoes and his Reggae Boyz band are sweating over the fitness of ace central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison for Wednesday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Honduras, following a crunching tackle by Mexican captain Rafael Marquez towards the end of the first half.
Goodison, who was seen hobbling around at the team's hotel, was sporting a badly contused and abrased right inner thigh and inner leg. There was also swelling on his lower leg.
But the lion-hearted defender - two months shy of his 36th birthday - soldiered on courageously and had it not been for his presence on the field, the scoreline could have been much worse.
He remained motionless on the pitch writhing in pain following the challenge, before being stretchered off, but Goodison explained that he was always going to continue, even in severe pain.
"You can't hold back when you are playing for your country, if you're going to hold back then it makes no sense playing for your country," he said, even as he held onto a colleague to climb the stairs at the entrance to the team's hotel.
He revealed that his leg felt "sore" and "stiff", but was looking forward to Wednesday's game nonetheless.
Doctor Charlie Roberts, team doctor, referred to Goodison's injury as one occasioned by a high studded tackle from the Mexican skipper. He said due to the severity of the challenge and the impact, "soft tissues" would have been crushed.
"The injury will be treated intensely by ice to keep the swelling down, rest and elevation, as well as pain killers," said Dr Roberts, who hinted that a player of Goodison's physical and mental toughness could easily regain fitness in time for Wednesday's game.
For Simoes, the injury is a big problem.
"The guy (Marquez) went there to pay him back for the tackle on Giovani. It was not by accident...
"Goodison is a warrior, he is amazing and along with Jermaine Taylor, if we didn't have these two guys today it would have been worse," added Simoes.
Incidentally, Marquez received only a yellow card warning for the challenge, instead of the obligatory red card expulsion.
Concorde not flying anymore, can be borrowed one on the RAF two seater fighter plane and send for a UB40?
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